QUESTION PERIOD — Ministry of Indigenous Services
Indigenous Business Directory
May 7, 2026
Welcome, minister. Officials from your department recently appeared before our National Finance Committee, and during that meeting I asked about the Indigenous Business Directory. As I noted at the time, this appears to be a strong and impactful initiative, and the results reported in your departmental plan are encouraging.
However, we learned earlier this year that over $285 million in federal government contracts for Indigenous businesses were awarded over a five-year period to companies that have since been removed from the directory. According to media reports, nearly 2,000 companies have been removed. These findings are concerning.
Can you speak to us about the work being done in your department to further strengthen the directory, particularly with respect to maintaining its integrity and credibility?
Thank you. I welcome the question. The Indigenous Business Directory was created to, first and foremost, create access. There is a percentage for that access. That percentage is actually a baseline. It is the minimum that we should be undertaking as a government to provide access to First Nations businesses.
I’ve had many conversations this year. I’m encouraged by the things that I’ve heard, the many offers of advice and the reports that are being submitted to me to do some reforms in this space. I do acknowledge that there was an undertaking to launch an initiative. The parameters of clarity for who should be part of that initiative need to be redefined, and part of that work has to be in collaboration with First Nations because they are the ones who are able to ensure that we are bringing the right individuals into that space to work with them and for them and that have a connection to them.
I really believe in that. I really believe that the work we have to do has to be in collaboration, supported through feedback and has to be supported through a mechanism that allows us to ensure that those individuals who have the opportunity to go into the business directory are there for the right reasons and purposes.
I was happy to see the outcome where many individuals were removed, and we are doing further work in this space because every opportunity that is created has to rightfully be allocated to First Nations companies.
Thank you for that response. As a strong supporter of the government’s commitment to award at least 5% of the total value of their contracts to Indigenous businesses each year, I welcome your department’s commitment to undertake compliance audits of registered businesses and enhance verification processes.
Could you speak to how these measures are being implemented, what challenges you have encountered and how you are ensuring the directory remains a trusted and reliable tool for supporting Indigenous economic participation?
Thank you. The work that’s being done internally is really important, but I also want to speak about the work that’s being done externally. We have a very immense and strong network of Indigenous businesses across the country. Many of them have reached out to me when they saw the undertakings in the business directory and have offered advice. Ensuring we work together moving forward is my first initiative.
Working in this space, I really want to speak to the 5%. We can do so much more. When I speak to the business directory or people ask me questions about the business directory, that 5% represents a baseline for the opportunity that’s available. We should do everything to build up the business directory so that it has —
Thank you, minister.
